Just say it Jack...

Author's note:


Okay I wouldn't read if you upset easily lol. And...I don't know what else to say. There's another author's note at the bottom. Enjoy :) P.S - Sorry it's so long!


The picturesque little town was as busy any other port in the Caribbean and could not be compared quite easily to Tortuga. There were streets full of drunks swaggering to and from taverns but the drunks were somehow more graceful here. There were harlots here, yes, but the women seemed much more upper class here instead of being dressed in rags. Inside the tavern the music was playing loudly, making the roof shake and causing drinks on tables to waver but it was done gracefully. Everything was as it should be in the area. This nice little picturesque area was a beautiful sight.


BANG!


The sound of a gunshot rang through the night, shattering the usual pretence and aura of the town. And a scream. High pitched and loud, ringing through the night. Jack Sparrow had a look of shock upon his face before he fell to his knees. Elizabeth Swann, was there to catch him in her arms before pulling him towards her, frantically ripping the hem of her dress and pressing it painfully against the wound in his chest. Jack gasped and spluttered, unable to breathe properly, struggling to keep his eyes open. Elizabeth could barely see either; tears blurring her vision as she pulled Jack tightly towards her in shock


“No! NO!” she cried, hugging Jack tighter and tighter, as though her mere action could cease either of their pain. Jack looked up at her, smiling slightly, and slowly lifted a hand up to her face to wipe away the stream of tears. She broke down, gasping and struggling to breathe against the flow of her tears.


“Keep…a weather eye on the horizon, love…” he whispered gently before his hand fell to the floor and his eyes flickered shut for the last time. Captain Jack Sparrow. Gone from the world, never would she see his beautiful eyes open again, his innuendo’s whispered in her ear, his soft touch as they made love to one another. Jack Sparrow was gone.


She woke up, screaming in fear, grasping at air and tears running down her face. Jack was gone, and it was all her fault. She struggled around in her bed that she had rented out, until she came free of the covers and fell the floor with a hard thud.


“OW!” she muttered to herself, keeping her eyes squeezed tightly shut, trying to banish the images of Jacks dying moments. After a few minutes she had her eyes open and looked at the window allowing light through; it’s morning she noticed. She quickly got dressed and hurried herself out the tavern room, needing to clear her head. She paid the landlord for the next night, knowing she’d have to return there for a decent nights sleep, and ran quickly out into the sunny street. She didn’t know her way around the town too well, having only arrived late last night, and bunking down in the nearest tavern she could find. It was a pretty little town, didn’t hold the same propriety as Port Royal but it seemed much more alluring than Tortuga. But even with the amazing scenery, she could not get the image of Jack breathing his last breath, out her head, what if he was dead right now? No, he couldn’t be, he was safe on the Pearl, probably heading to Singapore or India or Dominica. Dominica. She’d always wanted to go to there; she had hoped Jack would take her there sometime just to see something beautiful every day. Not that that was going to happen any time soon…or ever. This brought on a fresh wave of tears and she frantically wiped them away, pirates don’t cry she reminded herself. She saw a small, little shop that selling fresh fruit and her mouth watered. She longed for the taste of a juicy apple; it was one of the many things she missed, having been aboard a ship for so long. She grabbed an apple, trying to make off with it without getting caught but she was too slow.


“HEY! You gonna pay for that?” The overweight, tanned man shouted, whom she assumed was the owner but Elizabeth began to start running in the opposite direction, apple in her hand.


“Get back her now! If I ever see you again, I’ll kill ya!” But she didn’t care; she was starving. After running a few meters round a corner, she slowed down and began to chew slowly on the luscious, green apple, contemplating the past. What had happened between her and Jack? How had it ended like this? She cursed herself a stubborn brat for leaving when Jack insisted they talk but then she shook her head; he refused to apologize, let him suffer! But even at this thought she felt guilty, she wasn’t just hurting herself, she was hurting the both of them. She wanted to be with him, apologize, to tell him that she loved him. She didn’t notice her feet had carried her to a lovely, sandy beach and she thought here was as good a place as any to collect her thoughts. She climbed (rather gracefully!) onto a rock on the cliff, throwing her apple core into the sea and huddling her knees up to her chest.


Jack was not drunk, in fact he hadn’t swallowed drop of rum in the past 24 hours. Since…she left. He knew it was his fault, and Captain Jack Sparrow knew he needed to sort it out. The woman he had sailed with for the past few months, the woman he’d given himself to (figuratively) and the woman that knew how to rile him so had just walked out on him and he wanted her back. He had set his ship in the direction of the nearest port, hoping against hope she’d made it and not been blown off course or worse…drowned. Just a mile off port and Jack decided he needed a shot of rum…to calm his nerves of course, readying himself to what may or may not happen on land. An hour or so later, Jack and his crew had the ship tied up, he allowed the crew to go ashore as long as two men were aboard at all times. Jack put on his hat and sighed deeply, setting off down the beach and heading to the nearest town.






Elizabeth had been sat on the rock quite some time, and didn’t notice the breeze around her nipping at her skin. She didn’t notice the water level rising towards her and soaking her feet but she did notice the Black sailed ship heading into the port. She blinked a few times, contemplating whether or not she was dreaming. Jack? She may have passed out, or just stared for several hours because when she regained her composure the ship was already in port and members of the Black Pearl were leaving the ship behind in a merry fashion. Elizabeth couldn’t believe it; Jack had come for her, come to find her. Was it just her over reactive imagination? Or was he really here? She shakily got to her (now wet) feet and climbed off the rock, walking along the path above the beach towards the Pearl. Her steps were small and slow but as she got nearer to the Pearl she knew there was no denying it was her. Then she saw him; the Pirate Captain of the Black Pearl. The most feared pirate in the Spanish Main. Captain Jack Sparrow. Even in the evening glow he was a fearsome look about him, walking down the beach in his pirate attire. His hair flowing behind him, he really was the most handsome man she had ever seen. She could do nothing but stare at him and it was at that moment he caught her eye.




Jack strode across the sand, struggling to take steps as the sand was making him sink. He tried to form some sort of coherent sentence in his head, should he see Lizzie. What would he say? Apologize? Beg her to come back? He didn’t have long to think, he turned his head to the side and caught a glimpse of a woman staring at him from the path. He wasn’t too close but he knew who it was from that very moment; Elizabeth. Lizzie. His breath caught in his throat and he could do nothing but stare at her, for a moment. He took a few steps forward before she turned on her heel and ran in the opposite direction. Jack sighed deeply, really what did he expect? She left him, not the other way round and so only logical she didn’t want to see him. But he wasn’t giving up that easy; he’d saved her from drowning, saved her from being hung by Beckett and turned to Kraken chow to stop her being killed. He wasn’t going to let her go that easy. He began to run in the slushy sand and finally reached the railing leading to the path. Climbing up, he scanned the area and spotted Lizzie running in the direction of several buildings. He followed her, not too close, but not so far as to lose her. The two of them were running through what looked like a town, it seemed Lizzie was familiar with. Had she stayed here the previous night? She seemed to be slowing down which Jack was grateful for, he was not as young as he used to be. As he ran past what looked like a fruit store he heard a man bellow something at him, or at Elizabeth. He didn’t know, but he caught the words; apple, money and kill. He didn’t know what the man meant and he didn’t care, he just needed to talk to Lizzie. She finally grinded to a halt, leaning over as though suffering from a stitch. Jack reached her and stood a few meters away from her, deciding whether or not to comfort her; he’d always hated seeing his Lizzie in pain. He took one step towards her


“Lizzie…?” He reached out his hand as though to rub her back but she step backwards, giving him a look of poison.


“Don’t touch me Jack!” she snarled at him and he actually staggered backwards in shock. Her words stung a lot and it was evident from the look on his face. For a moment the two of them just stared at each other; Lizzie looking at Jack fiercely, Jack looking at her sadly. A few minutes passed by…


“What happened to us Elizabeth?” Jack whispered softly, so soft that Elizabeth felt her heart yearn to hug him.


“I needed space Jack, I felt too cramped with you” she admitted to him, not daring to look in his eyes for the fear of turning to mush.


“Why? What did I ever do to make you feel like that?” he questioned, and his tone didn’t sound accusing, but desperate, desperate for answers. But in spite of this, Elizabeth felt herself getting angry and frustrated, surely he knows how he made me feel!


“You were just…always there Jack! You kept me on ship during raids, you refused to let me in port alone. I never felt like I got to make my own decisions.” She insisted, trying to keep her tone normal but failing. Jack couldn’t believe what she was saying; he only wanted to keep her safe and see no harm came to her, but when he voiced this opinion she laughed bitterly.


“You didn’t want to protect me! You wanted me all to yourself; you wanted me under your control at all times. You even got jealous when I spoke to the crew!” The very nerve of her!


“That is NOT true Elizabeth and you know it!” The two stood there in the middle of the town arguing, shouting insults back and forth, neither of them particularly paying attention to anything but the other. They were too busy arguing they didn’t notice the overweight “fruit man” coming towards them. They were too busy arguing they didn’t notice him holding a pistol in his right arm either.


“I NEVER TREATED YOU LIKE PROPERTY!” Jack shouted fiercely at Elizabeth, when he heard a noise behind him. He turned to see a man heading towards them with a pistol in his hand, pointing it at Elizabeth. Instinctively, he stood in front of Lizzie pushing him behind her. But Lizzie was having none of it; she pushed Jack out the way to face the angry man before them.


“You owe me money missy!” he stated, not lowering the gun. But Lizzie was riled and didn’t particularly care at this moment in time.


“And you’ll get your money tomorrow” she yelled back at him. Jack stared between the two of them confused, what was happening?


“I want my money NOW! Or else…” he said harshly, taking the safety cap off the pistol. Jack felt uncomfortable, he had a feeling the man wasn’t joking.


“Well I don’t have your money so go on – shoot me!”


“Lizzie…don’t be…”


“SHUT IT JACK! I can fight my own battles!” He remained silent and stared at the man who has his pistol aimed at the only woman he’d ever truly loved.


“Last chance, love. Hand the money over or I’ll have to spill your pretty bloody all over the floor.” Lizzie shook her head defiantly and at that moment Jack knew she had sealed her fate. The man before the two of them, cold and mirthless aimed his pistol carefully and…


BANG! A shot filled the air of this otherwise quiet, peaceful town.


Lizzie squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the pain to begin. But when it didn’t come, she dared to peak her eyes open. The “fruit man” had ran off and Jack… JACK! Jack had fallen to his knees, a look of pain and horror upon his face and a slow tide of crimson liquid beginning to soak his white shirt through.
No! NO!! Lizzie caught Jack and laid him on the floor, ripping at her attire and pressing the material to the bullet wound in Jack’s chest. Why!? Why you fool? He wanted me! She stared into Jack face and noticed his eyes glazed with pain, his eyelids struggling to keep up and tears in the corners of his eyes. Lizzie could barely see through her own tears as she fought to keep Jack alive.


“Jack! JACK! Stay with me!” she screamed, shaking his shoulder frantically. His eyes were still open but the blood was still flowing everywhere, she had never been squeamish of blood but seeing Jack’s blood pour out of him so, was enough to make her feel faint.


“Jack…Jack please don’t leave me” she begged, tears running down her face. He didn’t answer her; he was struggling to breathe, spluttering slightly. “Jack…I need you. Don’t go! Please, don’t leave me! Why did you do it!?” She cried, putting her head against his chest like she had done so many times before, expecting him to put a comforting arm round her and tell her everything would be fine. It didn’t come.


“It’s my job to protect you…” he gasped, barely above a whisper, smiling lightly at her. She looked at him with blood shot eyes, knowing that this was the love of her life, and knowing she couldn’t carry on without him.


“I’m sorry, love…” he whispered to her, lifting a hand slowly to her cheek. She grasped at it and placed it in her own, against her cheek.


“I’m sorry too Jack. Please…just don’t leave me. We’ll sort everything out…just don’t go!” she shrieked. He gave her a faint smile and his eyes, those eyes that had enticed her for so long, shut slowly. His hand went limp in her own she screamed in horror. He couldn’t be gone. Jack Sparrow. The man she loved. She refused to believe it.


“Somebody help!!!” She screamed at the top of her voice, hoping somebody in this usually quiet and picturesque town would hear her. Hoping they’d save the only man…she’d ever really loved.


Author’s note:


Please don’t shoot me! I had this idea all along and just wanted to see it would work out on paper, so to speak. There will be another chapter, and I’ll update asap. I promise you! Comments make me smile. *hint hint* =D